And in the end she dies

and so she did, Mme Butterfly at HGO.

Grandage Tony Award
Photo LA Times

The award winning team for RED, Grandage, Oram and Austin, director, set and costumes and lighting, presented a new take on this (seen for umpteenth time) opera.

It's a big seller and HGO is no different, it had to add an additional performance due to huge demand for tickets.

Martinez and Calleja (HGO Photo)

The stage was set simply, deceptively so, with a sweeping path in RED across it, bronze colored walls in the first act, silvery ones in the second. Lighting cast tree shadows delicately, during morning, day and evening. Costumes followed suit in light colors from white, to rose (Butterfly's over Kimono), to silver, grays and warm beige and browns. Understated  design reminiscent of, perhaps Japanese Woodcuts or Asian Paintings with fine brushes. A splash of RED was provided by Butterfly's obi and sleeve linings and red flower as she waits for Pinkerton to return. Patrons seated on the sides - for the first time in memory - were able to follow the action completely, since 98 % took place in the center of the stage.
Soprano Ana Maria Martinez, an HGO favorite since her Studio time, took Butterfly and made it her very own. I feel she was one of - if not the best- Butterfly I have heard/seen. Strong voice, flexible and graced by emotional shadings (when needed), her pianissimo floating delicately, especially in the initial love scene, she certainly had the audience spell bound...many, many bows demanded by it at the end!
A taste of her versatile voice as Rusalka (Dvorak)

Tenor Joseph Calleja as Pinkerton, sang easily with a warm, rich, open sound and -almost- made Pinkerton seem less of a heel!

He is here singing "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot

Levi Hernandez

Baritone Levi Hernandez (from Texas!) was a sonorous Consul, expressing well through his voice, the emotions of a man, not the official. I have always felt that Sharpless, the Consul, is a little bit in love with Butterfly as well.

But that is just my feeling.

Boris Dyakov, Baritone, made one of the most elegant Prince Yamadori seen in a long time, although his voice did not quite purvey the Prince's infatuation with Butterfly, as he pursues her for some time.

Tenor Rodell Rosel, as Goro, did sing with a clear fine voice, while Lucy Schaufer as Suzuki sang competently.

Tommy Ajai George, known to audiences from previous HGO appearances as well as at OH!, was a deep voiced authoritarian Imperial Commissioner, and Robert Pomakov a threatening Bonze.

Rachel Sorenson, as Kate Pinkerton was, in my opinion  luxury casting, her voice demands bigger opportunties to really shine.

Maestro Patrick Summers led the HGO Orchester with a deep understanding of the nuances of Puccini's music and paced the singers well.